Mysterious series of killer whale attacks continues – scientists have a crazy theory that Germany’s most famous unemployed person is dead

In early May, three killer whales sank the Swiss yacht “Champagne” off Gibraltar. The killer whales destroyed the boat so badly that the crew had to flee. The yacht sank shortly afterwards. On Tuesday, two more ships were destroyed by a pod of killer whales.

Since May 2020, there have been more attacks by killer whales on small ships between Gibraltar and Galicia. One of the ships was so badly damaged by a group of killer whales early Tuesday morning at the entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar that the ship was unable to maneuver. The sailing ship and crew of three then had to be towed to the port of Barbate, Spain.

Only ten hours later, the ship of Vendée Globe skipper Sébastien Destremau was also attacked.

Why do killer whales attack?

The increase in attacks since May 2020 has caught the attention of researchers. In 2022, it was further examined in a study by the University of Aveiro in Portugal. The researchers showed that most incidents are relatively short and do not cause major damage to the ships. More extreme incidents – with serious damage – only occur occasionally.

The study concludes that the attacks are most likely due to a single killer whale matriarch. The orca female named “White Gladis” had – according to the researchers’ assumption – a traumatic experience with a ship. They would have passed on their aggressive behavior towards boats to other generations of killer whales. The latest reports repeatedly mentioned calves being allowed to “practice” rams. The researchers now advise all ships in this region to avoid orcas. (ears)